Philadelphia Phillies: Possible Ryan Howard Replacements for 2012

When the final out was made in Game 5 of the NLDS, the Philadelphia Phillies lost more than just the series. The team also saw their star first baseman, Ryan Howard, rupture his Achilles.

Howard will be out for at least 5 to six months and could miss most or all of the 2012 season if his injury lingers like many Achilles injuries do. The Phillies will need to change their approach to the offseason. The Phillies will now need to find someone who can fill in for the year at first base.

Carlos Pena

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Ryan Howard's power will certainly be missed by the Philadelphia Phillies next season. There is one player on the free-agent market that can replace his power.

Carlos Pena signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs before the 2011 season and could sign a one-year deal with the Phillies for 2012. If the Phillies do sign Pena, they will need to deal with his low batting average.

Cody Overbeck

At the moment, it seems like Cody Overbeck would have a slight edge over Matt Rizzotti if the Phillies are going to have one of their prospects play first base in 2012.

Overbeck has shown that he can handle Triple-A, while Rizzotti struggled at that level in 2010 and spent all of 2011 at Double-A. The Phillies can expect some power out of Overbeck if he plays in the majors next year.